This invention relates to an optical device to aid in the finding of a white or light-colored golf ball lost to the view of a player.
Various technologies have been proposed in the past to assist golfers in finding golf balls on a golf course or in the adjacent rough terrains. Some inventors have proposed to use a fluorescent covering on a ball and to illuminate that ball with ultraviolet light to make the ball glow. Other inventors have proposed to use the reflection of radio waves against metal plates inside a golf ball to locate the ball. Other proposals include emitters of various sorts installed inside the core of the ball. However, none of the previous devices has enjoyed a lasting success.
The present invention enhances the visual perception of a stationary white object, such as a golf ball, to help the user to locate the object. The present invention comprises an optical filter that attenuates light transmission for light rays having wavelengths longer than approximately 500 nanometer, and transmits light rays having shorter wavelengths. The present invention is advantageous for helping a golfer avoiding penalty strokes and wasted time and expenses due to lost balls. The present invention also improves golf course efficiency through the reduction of round times.
The optical filter is worn as eyeglasses. These eyeglasses constitute a relatively inexpensive, light, portable device that can be used by any player under a wide range of weather and foliage conditions. This invention can be used, without modification, to find any light-colored object in a field of vegetation or in a background that reflects different colors than the color of the object.